Giancarlo Stanton strains left calf running the bases, putting his return to the Yankees in doubt

NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton suffered another setback in his recovery from a strained right calf when he strained his left calf while running the bases earlier this week, putting his return to the New York Yankees by the end of the season in doubt.

Before the Yankees continued a three-game series with the Blue Jays on Saturday, manager Aaron Boone said Stanton strained the other calf when he fell down on the bases.

“It’s a moderate grade,” Boone said. “What that means moving forward, we’re not ruling anything out. He’ll obviously continue to work to try and get it right and hopefully be available but obviously we’re at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging, but you also never know, obviously bummed for him.

“Been working his tail off every single day here trying to get this right. I think you all know how bad he wants to be on that field and contributing to a championship. So obviously that’s disappointing but hopefully we just continue to work and get him healthy."

Stanton has not played since tweaking his right calf running between second and third base during New York’s 12-4 win at Houston on April 24. Stanton missed three games before the Yankees put him on the 10-day injured list April 28.

Stanton was nearing a return in mid-June when he felt soreness in his right calf while doing running the bases. On July 9 when the Yankees visited the Rays, general manager Brian Cashman said Stanton had actually suffered a new injury in a similar location.

The 36-year-old resumed running the bases two weeks ago along with light jogging in the outfield. Stanton also took at-bats against Carlos Rodón on Aug. 3 when the left-hander was rehabbing from an elbow injury.

“Obviously it’s been a tough road where he kind of reinjured a different part of the calf muscle halfway through here and now this. So tough news. You feel for G because I know how bad he wants to be in there for us, but at the same time it is what it is too and we got to just keep moving and try and hopefully get him right and hopefully get him right to where he still can be in the mix by the end.”

In his ninth year with the Yankees, Stanton was hitting .256 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 24 games before getting hurt. He has 456 homers and is 40th on the career list, six behind Adam Dunn and Jose Canseco.

The five-time All-Star and 2017 NL MVP has been plagued by injuries since being acquired from the Marlins in Dec. 2017 and has not played a full season since 2018.

Following his debut season with the Yankees, Stanton missed 266 of 708 games over the next five seasons because of a series of strains of right biceps, right knee, left hamstring (twice) and left quadriceps along with right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis.

In 2024, Stanton missed 28 games with a strained left hamstring but helped the Yankees reach their first World Series since 2009 by hitting 27 homers and 72 RBIs in 114 games and seven homers in 14 postseason games, including four in the ALCS against Cleveland.

Stanton missed the first 70 games last year because of inflammation in the tendons of both elbows, After returning Stanton hit .273 with 24 homers, 66 RBIs and a .944 OPS in 77 games and during spring training, the slugger said his time with the Yankees was incomplete.

Stanton is being paid $29 million this year, $25 million in 2027 and a $10 million buyout of a $25 million club option for 2028.

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